A follow-up email after an interview keeps you visible without being pushy. The best ones are short: thanks, one reference to a real discussion point, and a brief restatement of fit. Long generic messages read as templates and get ignored. One thoughtful paragraph beats three forgettable ones.
Writing it well
- Send it the same day, while the conversation is still fresh for everyone involved.
- Reference something specific that was discussed, which proves you were listening, not just present.
- Restate fit in one line, tied to a need the interviewer mentioned, not to your general qualities.
- Ask about next steps politely, with no deadline pressure, and then stop writing.
If there is no reply, wait a week before a single polite nudge. Repeated follow-ups turn visibility into annoyance.